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No no no, not that "Mask".
When did you all start noticing "The Mask?" I had light facial stiffness beginning about the same time my mild stiffness in my right shoulder, neck and right hip began, I'd say at about 31 (32 now). My first notice of it was when I smiled in the mirror while talking to someone in the other room--I saw it and thought, "Why in the world do I have a one sided smile?" I'm not a selfie taker so it never even came to mind, but one side of my smile wasn't playing ball. I also noticed if I made a really intense frowning expression, my muscles in that area would have a tendency to get "hung up" and stuck sometimes. Mom always told me to stop making faces or it would stick that way.
Now about a year later my facial expressions are less and less, at least when I'm not on Requip. It's a strange thing, because I've always been a really expressive and demonstrative person, and I'm starting to look kinda pissed off all the time (anyone remember the Seinfeld episode where Uncle Leo draws on his eyebrows too high, and the doctor tells him to "calm down?" Something like that). In a nutshell, I blink much less often now, my forehead and eyebrows feel stiff as a board and my lip does this weird stiff overhang when I talk. This has been a progressive thing, I didn't wake up as tin man or anything.
I've never played poker before, but I feel like I can clean up if anyone invites me to a game. Because I work directly with the public in higher education, sometimes I'm self-conscious of the fact that my expression is starting to not match up with my mood. Given that I am in diagnosis limbo (wrote a small novel in my other thread about that) this is just another symptom to take to my new MDS in Feb and say "okay, what is this?" But when did you guys start noticing the stare/mask issue in yourself? Or I guess the better question is when did others notice?

So here's a new, fun thing about Parkinson's I just discovered. I live in NYC and we've been having extremely warm, unseasonable weather the last couple of months. But yesterday it dropped down into the 20s with a brisk wind. I was out walking around for about twenty minutes and my right leg (especially the calf) stiffened up and my shoulders and knees felt achy. When I got inside I noticed groups of muscles starting to twitch that never have before. I've lived around here all my life and never had the cold affect me like that. Anyone else have problems with cold weather? Anything help? Thanks.

Since losing my job in 2009, my medical attention has been based almost completely on my blood pressure medicines. Since that time I have seen a number of different doctors due to insurance (or lack thereof) and a new symptom that has cropped up is making me put 2 and 2 together...in some ways.
I first found out about my hypokalemia in 2013 during a visit to a state university hospital. The level tested out at 3.4. On subsequent visits to other doctors, I have been made aware of low blood pressure (i.e. 106/59) during office visits. I am on 5 meds for blood pressure, including a heart medication and potassium, the diuretic I take is potassium-saving.They have asked if I am experiencing dizziness and light-headedness, which I am.
I have developed a twitch and a stiffness/heaviness in my left index finger and thumb(dominant hand). It is intermittent but the frequency and duration are increasing. Sometimes, it feels like a tremor before it twitches. There is no pain involved. I first noted it about a month ago. There is also a change in the way I write. I hadn't really noticed it until the twitches started up.
My quesion is this. Is there a link between my hypokalemia + low blood pressure + the twitches? Do I need to see a doctor about these symptoms which SEEM to be related to Parkinson's? or can they be explained by another problem? I do have a family history of Parkinson's Disease.
I have other issues, medically speaking, and need to prioritize. I know that sounds bad, but I only make so much money and need to be sure I need to be seen, as other issues are pressing, too.
Thank you for reading and for any advice you could provide.
Nan in the USA

I am a 63 year old woman whose father had the stiff form of Parkinson's (no tremors), and I am concerned that I may also have it. When my foot touches something unexpectedly, my legs stiffen and sometimes I fall. I also have almost no sense of smell, my voice is soft so that people often cannot hear me. When I speak louder, I feel like I am yelling. Also, my voice is often hoarse. I have had all of the symptoms for over five years. I wonder if I need to see a neurologist. Many thanks for your response. jaw029